Possible Participation in Research

05-06-2010, 08:30 PM

Below is an invitation to participate in a research study.

Hello,
My name is Brooks McKenzie and I am a PhD candidate at Texas Christian University (TCU). I work in the Developmental Research Lab under Dr. David Cross, and also work with the TCU Institute of Child Development under Dr. Karyn Purvis. I am contacting various groups (e.g., parent support, child advocacy, etc.) and individuals in order to seek participation in a research study. You have been contacted due to either your prior contact with, or interest in, the TCU Institute of Child Development.
The study is the preliminary assessment of a new questionnaire; the questionnaire is online and participation is completely anonymous. The intended future use of this questionnaire is to provide a reliable tool for the measurement of adult attachment.
Adult attachment has been found to be strongly associated with child psychological, socio-emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Currently, the only measurement of adult attachment that has been proven reliable in this area can often cost $400-$700 per person to administer; this is money that most child advocacy agencies do not have. Therefore, it is hoped that the development of a low-cost measurement of adult attachment can be developed and made available (after development and testing) to agencies that advocate for child welfare and safety. There are many uses for such a questionnaire, such as: a) helping place at-risk children (e.g., abused, neglected, diagnosed) with safe and nurturing parents, b) potentially reducing the number of failed adoption placements, c) protecting children from at-risk adults, and d) screening foster/adoptive families to reduce the possibility of abuse and/or neglect.
I am currently collecting data (i.e., completed questionnaires) to assess the reliability of this new instrument; we hope to collect ≥ 400 completed questionnaires. The survey is contained on a secure online website (see below), all participation is completely anonymous (no names or identifying information is required), and we are offering feedback at the end of the study to any participant who provides a valid email address (all consent and study information is contained online). The only requirement for participation is that the participant be between 18 and 58 years of age; the more diverse the backgrounds of participants, the better.
If you or your organization is possibly interested in helping in this research project, please contact me for any additional information you require, or use the link below to go directly to the survey site online. This web link may be sent to anyone who may be interested or wishes to participate. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/55957MC
Thank you for your time,
L. Brooks McKenzie, MA
Texas Christian UniversityL.B.MCKENZIE@TCU.EDU